Battery charging system



Jan. 30, 1945. W E scoTT ET AL 2,368,264

BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM Filed July 7, 1943 INVENTORS A 'I'TORNEY Patented Jan. 30, 1945 BATTERY CHARGING SYSIEM Walter Franklyn Scott, Milburn, and James Stewart Peters, West Orange, N. J., assignors to American Telephcne and Telegraph Company, a corporatinmf New York Application July 7, 1943, Serial No. 493,710

9 Claims.

This invention relates to arrangements for charging batteries and more particularly to arrangements for charging such batteries et a multiplicity of rates.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide arrangements for connecting a charging unit to a battery at predetermined intervals of time and to provide arrangements which will operate if the battery becomes substantiafly charged before the end of said time imterval to disconnect the Charging unit from the battery. A further object of the invention is to provide additional charging units and to provide arrangements which#Will operate if the .battery is.not substantia1ly charged at the end of said time interval to connect another one of such charging units to the battery in addition to the first unit. The arrangements of the invention will continue t the end of each successive time interval to connect additional charging units to the battery if at the end of each such interval the =battery is not substantially charged. When the battery is finally substantially charged the arrangements will disconneot all the charging units from the battery and at the end of the ensuing time interval a single charging unit will again be connected to the battery. Alarm arrangements are also provided to indicate whether or not the apparatus is funetioning properly. Other features and objectg of the invention will appear more fully from the detailed dscription thereof hereinaiter given.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description .together with the accompanying drawing in the figure of which is shown a circuit diagram embodying a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawing is shown a battery B to be. charged. Assiated with the battery B are shown the chargers l, 2 and 3. Additionai chargers could be provided, if desired. Connected a0ross battery B is a relay 4 which will be or:- eratea by the battery B when it becomes substantiafly charged but will not be operated ther eby When the battery is not substantiafly charged. The relay 4, however, is so adjusted that When it is operated it will be held operated by the battery B even though the battery B is not substantially charged. In the apparatus there is provided clock-driven mechanism (net shown) which will rotate the cam 5 once during a definite time interval as, for purposes of illustration, one heur. The cam mechanism 5 accordingly will close 3 circuit for a relay. 6 once an hour and cause it to operate for a brief interval as, for example, about hait a minute. This will open the circuit for the relay 4 if it has been operated by the battery B becoming substantially charged and will cause relay 4 t0 release. The release of relay 4 will set mechanism in operation to close a circuit 1 and render charger l operative. Charger I will accordingly commence t0 charge the battery B. If during the first interval of time, suchas the first houx, the battery B becomes substantially charged, relay 4 will operate and disable the mechanism for completing the circuit 1 and will disable the charger l. However, if the battery B does not become substantially charged during the first time interval, relay 4 remains released and charger l remains operated throughout the interval. When the cam again closes the circuit for relay 6 and operates it momentarily, additional mechanism, which was prepared for operation when relay 4 first released, will function to close 3. circuit 8 for the charger 2 and render it operative. Chargers I and 2 will now charge battery B. If during the second hourly interval the battery B becomes substantially charged, the relay 4 will operate and restore all the apparatus to normal and disable chargers I and 2. However, if during the second hourly interval the battery B does not become substantially charged, the relay 4 will still remain released. When the cam 5 again closes the circuit relay 8 is momentarily operated. This will cause additional apparatus to function to close a circuit 9 t0 render the charger! operative to also charge the battery B. This sequence of events will continue to add other chargers to the battery'B until it becomes substantialiy charged. At this point it will operate the relay 4 which will return the mechanism to normal and disable all 01 the chargers. Atthe end of the ensuing interval of time the cam 5 will again momentarily operate relay 6 and release relay 4to start a similar sequence of events.

The invention may be more fully uriderstood from the following detailed description of its operati0n. Let it be assumed that during a. previos time interval the battery B has become substantially charged and operated relay4, which has caused all 01'' the chargers such*as l, 2 and 3 to be disabled. At the endof the time interval th cam 5 will close the circuit for rela 5 and operate it for a short interval such as half a minute; The cperation of relay 6 will open a circuit-for relay 4 and allow it to release, The release of relay 4 will close the'f0l1owing circuit: from ground, armature and contact of relay 4, conductor l0, re-- iay Il te battery and ground. This will operate relay Il. As pointed out heretofore relay 4 will rmain released until the battery B becomes substantialiy charged. The operation of reiay Il will close the foiiowing circuit: ground, armature and contact relay Il. conductor l2, winding 0! reiay I3 to battery and ground. The operation of reiay I: will close the circuit 1 which will tender the charger l operative. The charger I accordingly will commence to charge the battery B. The operation o1' reiay Il also closes the toilowing circuit as soon as reiay 8 reieases atter its momentary operation: from ground, armature and contact et reiay Il, conductor Il, winding o! reiay l5. conductor Il), armature and contact et reiay through battery I! and ground. This will operate reiay I5 which will look up from battery Il, armature and contact 01 relay l5, winding of reiay l5, conductor Il, armature and contact 0! relay Il to ground. It is pointed out that reiay l5 looks up under controi o1 reiay l I and accordingiy will be reieased when reiay Il is in turn reieased by the operation of relay 4. The oper ation of relay l5 prepares an operating circuit for the relay l9 which controls the circuit 5 of the charger 2. Relay l9, however, does not operate at this time because the relay 5 i released. Il, during the first time intervai the reiay B becomes substantially charged, the relay 4 will op erate and remain operated. This would reiease relays Il, I3 and l5 and would open the circuit 1 and disable the charger l. At the end of the flrst time intervai relay 5 would again operate momentariiy and again release relay 4. This would cause the foregoing sequence of events to be repeated and the charger l rendered operative and the circuit prepared for rendering the charger 2 operative. However, let it be assumed that during the first time interval the battery B did not become substantially charged and relay 4 was not operated but remained reieased. Accordingly, at the end of the first time intervai the cam 5 will again cause the reiay 5 to operate momentarily. As the reiay 4 was reieased, the operation of relay 5 will have no eiiect thereon. However, the operation of relay 5 will close the foliowing circuit: from battery I I, armature and contact 01! reiay 5, conductor 25, upper armature and contact 01 relay l5, conductor 2l, winding or relay l5, conductor 22, conductor Il, contact and armature of relay Il to ground. This will operate relay In. The operation of relay I! will close the circuit 8 and tender the charger 2 operative. Both chargers I and 2 wii] now be charging the battery B. The relay I5 looks up over 8. circuit irom ground and battery, contact and armature oi relay l9, winding oi relay l9, conductors 22 and II, contact and armature of relay Il to ground. Atter an intervai reiay 5 will again release. This will complete the toilowing circuit: battery I'I, armature and contact 01 relay 5, conductor l8, winding of relay 22, conductor 24, contact and armature o! relay l9 to ground. This will operate relay 25, which will lock up over 8. circuit trom battery, armature and contact of relay 25, winding oi! relay 25, conductor 24, contact and armature o! relay l9 to ground. The operation of relay 22 serves to prepare an operating circuit for relay 25 which controls circuit 9, which in turn controls charger I. Relay 25, however, does not operate at this time because reiay 5 is released. Again it is pointed out that if, during the second time interval, the battery B becomes substantialiy charged, reiay I will operate and restore the apparatus to normal. However, let it be assumed that during the second time interval the battery B has not become substantially charged and relay 4 remains reieased. At the end of the second time interval the cam 5 will again cause'reiay 5 to operate momentariiy. This will have no effect on relay l as it has aiready reieased. However, the operation of relay 5 will close the iollowing circuit: battery l1, contact and armature et relay 5, conductor 2l), armature and contact 01 relay 25, conductor 2B, winding of reiay 25, conductor 2I, conductors 22 and II, contact and armature of relay Il to ground. This will operate relay 25, which will close circuit 8 and render the charger (I operative. Chargers l, 2 and I will now ce charsing battery B. A iocking circuit is provided for relay 25 from battery, contact and armature of reiay 25, winding of reiay 25, conductors 21, 22 and II, contact and armature oi relay Il te ground. It is pointed out that relay 25 and also reiay I9 are locked up under control of relay Il and accordingiy will be released When reiay Il is in turn released by the operation oi! relay 4.

While oniy three chargers have been shown aesociated with the battery B, it is obvious that by adding additionai groups oi. reiays, such as I 5l I and 25-25, additional chargers could be added to those already charging the battery B.

The invention also provides an aiarm circuit individual to each charger to indicate whenever a charger which has been turned on iails. For exampie, when relay 5 first reieases the foiiowing circuit 13 ciosed: from ground, lower armature and contact of reiay 6, conductor 25, lower armaturc and contact 01 reiay l I, to the alarm circuit 29. The charger I will have in its output circuit relay arrangements (not shown) which, when the charger la tumed on and is Iunctioning, will hold open 8. circuit to an aiarm. This circuit will be completed to ground over the circuit 25 and the o iower armature and contact of relay l9, to alarm circuit 33. When reiay 5 next reieases, the circuit is extended from conductor in, over conductor M, Iower armature and contact ci. reiay 25, to alarm circuit 3l. Alarm circuits 3l and 55 are similar to alarm circuit 29.

Whiie the arrangements of the invention have been disciosed as embodied in certain specific arrangements, it is understood that they are capabie of embodiment in many and other wideiy varied forms without departing i.rom the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A battery charging system comprising a battery to be charged, a pluraiity o! chargers associated with said battery, apparatus operating at regular time intervais, means operated by one operation of said apparatus for operativeiy connecting a flrst one 01 said chargers to said battery, and means operated by the next succeeding operation of said apparatus for operativeiy connecting a second one of said chargers to said battery.

2. A battery charging system comprising a. battery to be charged, a piurality ci chargers associated with said battery, apparatus operating at regular time intervals, means operated by one operation of said apparatus for operatively connecting a first one of said chargera to said battery, and means operated by successive operations of said apparatus for operatively connecting additional ones of said chargers to said battery successively.

3. A battery charging system comprising a battery to be charged, a piurality o1 chargers associated With said battery, apparatus operating at regnlar time intervals, means operated by one operation of said apparatus for operatively connecting' a first one of said chargers to said battery, meansoperated by the next succeeding peration of said apparatus for operatively connecting a second one of said chargers to said battery, and means operative when said battery becomes substantially charged for rendering inoperative any of said chargers which have been operatively connected to said battery.

4. A battery charging system ccmprising a batter'y to be charged, apparatug operaoing at regular time interva1s, a plurality cf chargers connected to said battery, relay means individual t each of said chargers for controlling the operativeness of said chargers, means controlled by a first operation of said apparatus for operating the relay means individual to the first of said chargers to rentier its charger operative and for preparing a circuit for operating the relay means individual to the second of said chargers, and means controlled by a second operation of said apparatus for closing said circuit for operating the relay means individual to the second of said chargers to render its charger operative.

5. A battery charging system comprising a battery to be charged, apparatus operating at regular time intervals, a plurality of chargers connected to said battery, re1ay means individual to each of said chargers for controlling the operativeness of said chargers, means controlled by a flrst operation of said apparatus for operating the relay means individual to the first of said chargers to render its charger operative and for preparing 3. circuit for cperating the relay means individual to the second of said chargers, means controlled by a second operation of said apparatus for closing said circuit for operating the relay means individual to the second of said chargers to render its charger operative, and means operative when said battery becomes substantially charged for releasing all of said relay means which may have.

been operated.

6. A battery charging system comprising a battery to be charged, apparatus operating at regular time intervals, a plurality oi chargers comiected to said battery, relay means individual to each of said chargers for controlling the operativeness of said bhargers, means controlled by a first operation of said apparatus for operating the relay means individual to the first of said chargers to render its charger operative and for preparing a circuit for operating the relay means individual to the second cf said chargers, and means controlled by a second operation of said apparatus for closing said circuit for operating the relay means individuai to the second of said chargers t0 render its charger operative and for preparng a circuit for operating the relay means individual to another of said chargers whereby said lest mentioned circuit may be closed on the next succeeding operation of said apparatus.

7. A battery charging system comprising a battery to be charged, a plurality cf chargers associated with said battery, apparatus operating at regular time intervals, means operated by one operati0n of said apparatus for operatively connecting a first one of said chargers to said battery, means operated by the next succeeding operaton of said apparatus for operatively connecting a second one of said chargers to said battery, and a relay connected across said battery and having its constants so adjusted that it will be operated by said battery when said battery becornes substantially charged, said two last mentioned means being capable of being operated only when said relay is released.

8. The method of charging a battery which comprises operativeiy connecting a charger to said battery, operatively connecting additions! chargers successively to said battery at successive definite time intervals, and disconnecting all of the chargers operatively connected to said battery when it becomes substantially charged.

9. The method of charging a battery which comprises operatively connecting chargers to said battery successively at successive definite time intervals and disconnecting from said battery au of the chargers operatively connected thereto when said battery becomes substantially charged.

WALTER FRANKLYN SCOTI. JAMES STEWART PEIERS. 

